Eugene's First United Methodist Church has approved a resolution to provide "sanctuary" to undocumented immigrants.
Sajina Shrestha / KLCC
The First United Methodist Church of Eugene is promising to shelter immigrants, refugees, and migrants facing immigration enforcement.
The resolution comes soon after President Donald Trump lifted a ban barring immigration officials from entering places that have typically been considered off-limits to federal agents, such as schools, hospitals and churches.
First United Methodist Pastor Ryan Scott said his congregation’s response is in line with their faith and beliefs.
“We don’t want to just be a church that sits in the pews and listens to sermons and sings hymns on Sunday,” said Scott. “That faith is so much more than that. It’s about caring for one another and building a resilient community.”
Related: Portland church maintains sanctuary for undocumented immigrants amid Trump’s crackdown
Currently, the resolution is still in its early stages.
“We have questions that we need to answer for ourselves,” Scott said. “How many people could we host? What policies and procedures do we need to have in place to make sure that we’re protected and we’re doing the best work that we can for the immigrants that we’re serving?”
The church is currently working with local partners to create an action plan based on their resolution.
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